Maryland softball surrenders 2-run lead late, series split one game apiece

Written by: Michael Hromalik

Softball players during the weekend games (Michael Hromalik)

The Maryland Terrapins surrendered a 4-2 lead in the seventh inning to the Illinois Fighting Illini, resulting in a 5-4 defeat in game 2 of the weekend series.

The game started with Illinois having three runners reach base, giving them a chance to take an early lead. However, senior starting pitcher Keira Bucher Maryland’s defense weathered the storm, allowing no runs. Until the seventh inning, leaving runners on base would be the story for Illinois. 

Third baseman Matti Benson provided the early spark for Maryland, with a two-out, two-run home run in the 1st, giving Maryland a 2-0 lead. 

In the top half of the second inning, it was another escaped jam for the Maryland defense, as they once again stranded three runners. However, in the third inning, catcher Jackie Yeager capitalized with a runner on, blasting a two-run game-tying home run. 

Maryland and Illinois exchanged scoreless frames in the next two frames until the bottom of the 4th, when sophomore infielder Anna McGowan launched a two-run home run to take a 4-2 lead. 

“There’s always that one pitch that’s in front of you that matters,” said McGowan. “It doesn’t matter what I did in my last at bat, it just matters in that moment that I know I’m gonna beat the pitcher no matter what she does.” 

At that point, Maryland had two runs on two hits with no one left on base, a contrast to an Illinois team that had left ten. 

The Illinois offense for the next two innings had more problems with runners on base, as they left shortstop Ava Moore on second, despite Moore reaching base with one out. In the sixth inning, two runners were on, but a pair of infield plays, including a double-play, again left Illinois empty. 

Through six innings of pitching, Bucher had escaped three different instances of the bases loaded without a scratch. By the time the top of the seventh rolled around, the Illinois offense had stranded 12 runners. That was in contrast to the Terrapins, who left one on base. 

But the dam eventually broke in the 7th inning. The first three batters for Illinois reached base, putting them in another situation to break through with no outs recorded. And this time, they did.

A fielding error by shortstop Sammi Woods allowed Yeager to score from third to cut the lead 4-3. In the next at-bat, outfielder Skylar Brennan singled to left field, tying the game at 4-4. 

With the game tied, head coach Lauren Karn decided to take Bucher out of the game. She finished the game, throwing six innings, allowing four runs on twelve hits with two strikeouts and three walks. 

Aubrey Wurst came in for relief. The first batter she faced, third baseman Adisyn Caryl, grounded out to second, but it allowed Moore to score from third and provide Illinois with the winning run. Wurst retired the next two batters, but the damage was done. 

“If we can pitch a little bit cleaner and not give up the big hit, then that changes the game right there,” said Karn. 

A lead-off single by McGowan provided a spark of hope for the home crowd, but that would be it, as a trio of groundouts would be the final outs in Saturday’s contest.  

Maryland fell to 16-27 and 2-18 in Big Ten play, while Illinois moved to 13-32 and 3-13 in conference play.

“We know we’re the better team,” said Karn. “We just have to…play our best game and not let some of the little things get away from us.”